Date of Award

2-12-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Department

Seminary

First Advisor

Jamale Kempt, DMin

Second Advisor

Gregory Tate, DMin

Abstract

Christian discipleship is on the decline in the United States, according to the Barna Group.1 The Barna Group “identified Christians who were both being discipled and discipling others as those who are fully engaged in discipleship community. Just over one in four U.S. Christians (28%) fall into this category. Another 28 percent are being discipled but are not helping others grow closer to Christ”.2 A contributing factor is that the churches in this study do not appear to be effectively leveraging information and knowledge systems to aid with ministry decisions. The adoption of integrated knowledge management systems that house records of successful Christian discipleship campaigns, key individuals and their contributions, known areas of program concern, and member profiles may help church leaders better identify where needs exist in their discipleship programs. In addition, these systems may provide insights for how to properly address challenges when producing more disciples while achieving ministry objectives and having a greater impact on the community. Unfortunately, as Welch points out, leadership and administration principles are not readily taught as part of church administration or ministry management in seminaries. Of the 148 seminaries surveyed, slightly more than one percent of their total academic curriculum focuses on the administration and leadership responsibilities of the church.3 There appears to be some misalignment between the presentation of the Gospel, the discipleship of the members, and the benefits of administration and leadership principles. The research in this paper identifies challenges that exist due to organizational culture and general misconceptions regarding technology while positing solutions to address the adoption of information and knowledge systems. There is also a description of the Discipleship Management Program Strategic Planning Tool. This is a web-based tool that permits church leaders and ministry administrators to enter key information and receive recommendations for working with consulting firms.

1“Two in Five Christians Are Not Engaged in Discipleship,” Barna Group, accessed January 26, 2022, https://www.barna.com/research/christians-discipleship-community.

2Ibid.

3Robert Welch, Church Administration: Creating Efficiency for Effective Ministry, 2nd ed. (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2011), ix.

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